© Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
'Back In A Big Way!' Dallas Cowboys' John Fassel Praises New Kickoff Rules
Dallas Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel was instrumental in developing the NFL's new kickoff rules.
Kickoffs were becoming less and less relevant in the modern NFL, until this week, that is.
At the NFL's annual meeting earlier this week, league owners passed a drastic rule change to kickoffs. The league essentially adopted the XFL kickoff model, which has the kicking and receiving teams line up closer to each other but doesn't allow them to move until the ball reaches the returner. The change is meant to place more emphasis on kickoff returns, as they had been becoming less common each passing year.
Jul 31, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel during training
Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
Many pushed for this change to become a reality, and Dallas Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel is one of the most-notable people in that camp. A respected veteran in the league, Fassel was one of three special teams coordinators to meet with the NFL's competition committee in support of the new rule earlier this month.
Needless to say, Fassel is very pleased to see the NFL officially pass the rule he helped introduce.
“It was a dying play,”Fassel said Thursday on Good Morning Football. “And it feels like it’s back, and it’s back in a big way. I must say, I’m proud of the NFL for being bold, because this is a big change.”
Fassel should be excited for the change on multiple levels, as not only did he help pass the rule, but it gives him a better chance to use one of the NFL's most-dangerous returners in KaVontae Turpin.
The 2022 USFL MVP, Turpin showcased his talents by running a kick all the way back in a 2022 preseason game, but he hasn't had much of a chance to work his magic since. In fact, Turpin had just 10 kickoff returns all of last season. Under the new rules, though, he should have a much better chance to showcase his talents.
Even disregarding that potential, Fassel is excited to see how the kickoff change impacts the game at every level.
“If this thing gets adopted by college football, high school football, the lower levels, I think we’ve done a great thing for the game of football,” Fassel said. “We’ve made it better, we’ve made it safer, and I just can’t wait to see where it goes. I think everybody’s really going to love it. It’s a unique look at the start, but once that ball gets caught, man, it’s game on and it’s going to feel like a real football play.”
